Costa Rica Diary: You Never Know Until You Try

A feeling of excitement overcomes us when we are faced with something new. That unfamiliar territory makes us smile, and we lunge at it, ready to take it on. But sometimes, a feeling of fear may be present. The unknown can be scary, and it can be difficult to face.

This was a week of many “firsts” for the group in Costa Rica. From dawn to dusk, we had a packed schedule, and each day presented something new for us to overcome. It started first thing in the morning with 7 am yoga classes. For some, yoga was already a present activity in everyday life, but others were just being introduced to it. Rachel switched up her classes each morning, but all of them remained true to Vinyasa Flow. At times we relaxed and focused on breath, but that was balanced with a flow that sped up our heart rates and made us sweat. Some of the words Rachel used in her teaching went right over my head, and some of the poses she led us into took my body by surprise. I twisted in ways I didn’t know were possible, and used muscles that I had never worked before. In our afternoon classes, Rachel broke down some of the more difficult poses, and we got hands-on help with handstands, headstands, and full wheels. Handstands and headstands are something that I never thought twice about doing, and before I knew it, I was upside down with my feet high in the air. I never thought my body was capable of such a thing, but with the proper coaching, anything is possible.

In between our yoga classes, we had the opportunity to go an some pretty amazing excursions. First up was surfing. I could tell people were excited to get out in the water because of all the talk beforehand. Most had never attempted the sport, but the way faces lit up when they spoke about it was an easy hint that they couldn’t wait to paddle out. My dad taught me how to surf at a very young age, but I probably hadn’t done it in about 4 years. I hung back on the shore and watched as everyone paddled out with the instructors from Surf Bikini. I was amazed at how fast everyone picked it up. I zoomed in to capture the moment on my camera, and what I saw behind that lens made me smile, because a smile is contagious – and all I saw were grins from ear to ear. Going out in the surf can be intimidating. The ocean is powerful and vast, but these girls went at it with full force and fearlessness.

The week continued and the adventures kept on coming. From paddle boarding down a river, to Latin dancing with the local Tica women, it felt like we were checking off things on a bucket list that hadn’t even been created yet. Getting the chance to experience it all in Costa Rica made for memories that none of us will forget. We might have been scared, and the words “I can’t” might have been lingering in our minds, but one never knows what they can accomplish until they get out there and try.